What Does Hayley Atwell's New Leading Role Mean for Agent Carter?

Hayley Atwell has just been cast as the lead in ABC's new drama Conviction, and while we're completely on board with Atwell getting more leading roles, it's hard not to worry about what will happen to Agent Carter. Is our favorite network Marvel show in danger of cancellation (again)?

According to Variety, Atwell's schedule will be worked out to allow her to perform in both shows if Conviction is picked up and Agent Carter is renewed. And this makes some sense, since Agent Carter has very short seasons, although the report was fairly vague and didn't cite a source. Either way, Agent Carter's ratings have never been great, and have dropped steadily in each episode of this season, so it will probably always be a fight to get it renewed. Let's hope this is just a sign of Atwell's career taking off, and not a pessimistic back-up plan.

Conviction follows Carter Morrison, played by Atwell, described as the "brilliant but rebellious daughter of a former president" who is blackmailed into heading a government-funded organization that investigates convictions for crimes that may have been committed by someone else. Agent Carter is midway through its second season, and averaging approximately 3 million viewers per episode, which places it near the bottom of the heap for ABC. Its ratings have been even lower than Blood and Oil, which was recently cancelled, and only a little higher than Wicked City, which was the first show to be cancelled in the 2015-2016 season.